Public Relations

NWACC matching RTC programs with facilities

            BENTONVILLE (Tuesday, January 29, 2008) – Pending approval of a new lease agreement between the Fayetteville Public School Board and the NorthWest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees, NWACC will lease a smaller amount of space at the existing Regional Technology Center in Fayetteville beginning in August 2008, the college announced today.

            If approved, the RTC building would become one of four primary locations where classes are held, moving NWACC toward its goal of regionalizing the program.

            The RTC provides the northwest Arkansas region with high quality career and technical certification programs, concurrent technical high school and college academic credit offerings.

            “One of the College’s goals is to increase access for all students to the current educational experiences available at the RTC,” College President Dr. Becky Paneitz said. “We continue to work closely with educational and community partners throughout the region to identify locations suitable for high school and college level courses.

            “These sites that we are proposing today will continue to provide technical and college level academic opportunities for all students throughout the college’s service area. These initiatives will allow us to continue to create experiences more in line with the nationally recognized early college model, which is an initiative that includes courses high school students can take to jointly earn college credit.”

            Proposed locations and programs they would house include:

            BATES ANNEX TO FAYETTEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL – Pre-Engineering and Step-Ahead (NWACC general education college credit courses).

            RTC (former West Campus) – Welding, Auto Collision, Aviation Maintenance, Dental Assisting, Medical Professions, Post-Secondary Computer Information, Secondary Culinary Arts, Post-Secondary Culinary and Hospitality, a new Agriculture Program, day and evening college credit classes and evening apprenticeship classes.

            The specifics of the agriculture program are to be determined, as are which apprenticeship programs would be hosted at the RTC, 2350 Old Farmington Rd.

            GENTRY PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Aviation Maintenance, Criminal Justice, Medical Professions, Veterinary Assistant and college credit classes at night.

            The aviation, criminal justice and medical profession classes are one-half time.

            NWACC already has an agreement with Gentry Public Schools.

            ROGERS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ANNEX – Criminal Justice, Computer Repair and Networking, Pre-Engineering and Step Ahead classes.

            The Annex is located at Kirksey Middle School.

            In addition to the daytime programs at the Rogers Annex, NWACC will offer in the evening a few general education college courses and Adult English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

            NWACC has an agreement with Rogers Public Schools for these programs and is working out the details of a facility use agreement.

            Additionally, the RTC will sponsor four cosmetology academies, one each at Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs and Springdale.

            The RTC also will sponsor an automotive technology program at Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale. That agreement was approved by the NTI Board Jan. 17.

            NWACC anticipates that the Fayetteville School Board will consider NWACC’s proposed new lease at its next School Board meeting.

            The NWACC Board meets February 18.

            The NWACC Board this past November approved a recommendation to exercise an option to not renew the lease of the RTC building with Fayetteville Public Schools, effective June 30th   where previously a broader range of programs were being offered.

            Since that time, NWACC has reviewed its actual space needs at the entire facility, pared them down by re-locating some programs and reviewing the current needs and best fit for Fayetteville.

            The proposed lease has a one-year term.  Final plans for delivering the programs at the West Campus Building are subject to reaching agreement for a new lease agreement between the Fayetteville Public School Board and the NorthWest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees.

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